Buff



L. J. WALLING Jan. 10, 1950 BUFF Original Filed March 14, 1958 INVENTOR.

LAWRENCE JTWALLING ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 10, 1950 BUFF Lawrence J. Walling,

one-fifth to Charles and one-fifth to Rober Keyport, N. J assignor of It. Stoddard, New York,

t Harding, Jr., Elmsford,

Continuation of application Serial No. 195,703,

- March 14, 1938.

Serial No. 744,357

11 Claims.

This invention relates to buffs for finishing the surface of various materials and has particular adaptation to buffs intended to produce an abrasive or cleaning action. Any desirable kind or degree of finish may be produced by varying the construction of the buff in accordance with the invention. The application is a continuation of my prior filed application Serial No. 195,703, filed March 14, 1938, now abandoned.

Inmy copending application Serial No. 744,356, filed April 28, 1947, now Patent No. 2,459,055, dated January 11, 1949, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, I have shown a buff constructed of strands of polishing material which extend substantially radially of the buff and are securely anchored at the center, the working surface of the buff being formed exclusively of the ends of the strands, so that the maximum of softness may be produced,while the construction affords, at the same time, a buff which does not tend to distort from a true circle or lose its dynamic balance.

Another object of the invention is to'provide an improved strand or cable for constructing a buff which may not only make it easier to construct but may increase the life thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buff with substantially radial strands arranged in planes, a single layer of strands being uniformly positioned in each plane.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved strand or cable for constructing a buff by means of which materials, such as polishing compounds, as well as cleaning or abrasive elements, may be introduced into the buff.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strand or cable to be used in constructing a buff which will have an increased tensile strength'resulting in a buff which will have less tendency to fray out and therefore will have a longer life without decreasing its polishing qualities.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a buff which has a working surface composed of the ends of strands or cables, the arrangement being such that these ends tend to draw together in operation. I

' Another objec of the invention is to provide an improved method of radially stitching strands in a bufi which will tend to draw the strands together at the periphery when the buff is rotating thus stiffening the working surface of the buff.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a buff in which wires or strands of Iampico or other cleaning or abrasive elements are incorporated in the buff with the ends of the wires or strands always lying at the working surface.

It is also an object of'the invention to provide This application April 28, 1947,

'2 a buff which will not tend to heat up but will be automatically cooled in operation.

Other objects of the invention and objects relating particularly to the method of performing the various steps in the construction of the buff will be apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a sheet of the buff forming material in accordance With the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the material of Fig. 1 formed into a cylinder with the cables running parallel to the axis of the cylinder, the result of another step in the process of constructing the buff;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view through the axis of the partially completed buff;

Fig. 4 is an'elevational view showing a portion of a completed buff;

Fig. 5 is an edge view of a portion of the buff of Fig. 4 showing the ends of several of the cables;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevational view of the cylinder of Fig. 1 folded preparatory to producing the distortion illustrated in Fig. 3 in another manner;

Fig.7 is an enlarged sectional view of one form of cable which may be us'edin the buff of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a cylinder made of braided strands or'cables and which illustrates one'step'in producing another form of the buff of the invention;

Fig. 9 diagrammatically represents the cylinder of Fig. 8 partially formed into the finished buff;

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevational view of an improved metallic center for the buff;

' Fig. 11 is an'elevational view of a portion of the buff center' shown in Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 shows a modified form of the cable shown in Fig.7.

In its broadest concept the invention comprises the formation of a buif out of cables: of cottonyarn or other suitable polishing. cleaning or'abrasivematerial in such a manner that the cables all extend outwardly from the center with the result that the periphery of the buff, which is the working surface, is composed substantially entirely of cable ends, thus forming a soft working surface which is uniform in texture around the buff. The construction of the buff in this manner may be effected by weaving or braiding a plurality of the cables simultaneously in a certain'ma-nnenor by another method a single cable may be continuously fed into a particular apparatus and by winding and sewing in a certain manner the desired result may be attained. A feature of the invention also is a particular construction of cable which has advantages to be hereinafter explained.

In one manner of producing the butt of the invention a single cable maybe fed into a suitable machine continuously and wound around a cylin drical mandrel, forming a tubular helix, with each turn of the cable sewed with a zigzag stitch to the turns on either side of it. ldrig" as the machine is operated and the cable is fed ifito it the tubular helix grows in length, and the cable may thus be wound in long piees depending on the length of the mandrel".

After the tubular helix of cable is formed it may be cut off in lengths corresponding to the length from top to bottom of the piece shown in Fig.- 1. Each length may then be slit axially along the side of the cylinder and the piece opened out intoa fiat s'heet 54 as indicated in Fig. 1. In producing these sheets out of thetu- Bular helix, the separate pieces may be cut first and then slit open or the entire tubular helix may first be slit axially and then the resulting strip cut into the desired lengths.- 1 H The sheet shown in Fig. 1 may then be rolled at right angles to its former axis tof'rm the cylinder 55 of Fig. 7 with the cables all running parallel to the axis; and the cable 56, forming the upper end of the sheet 54 of Fig. 1 may then be sewed with the same zigzag stitch tot-heca-b1e57 at; the opposite end of the sheet.- This; stitch may be made on the same machine or another similar one; Inasmuch asthe zigzagstitch just referred to is similar tothe stitehes formed by the ma;-' chine; each of the cable sections is attached to those adjacent to it in exactly the same manner and the structure is uniform around its circumference. 1 V The length of the; spiral tubular helix 26 of 'eablewhich is cut off will of course be measured from top to bottom of they sheet 54 ofrFig; I; and as these two extreme ends are brought together to form the cylinder 55 of Fig; 2, the length of these out 01f pieces will determine thediaineter of the tubular member 55 of Fig. 2. g The next step in the formation of the buff is: to crowd or crush the cables together along the line" 58- at the center of the cylinder. This may be done in any desired manner as by meansof a double feed sewing machine.

After thestep just described has been com= pleted the outer ends of the tubular member 55 are opened or expanded and broughtgtogethef to form the buff shownin section in Fig. 3. In .this figure the end 53 is expandedto form'thefiat disc 64 and the opposite end 65 is expanded to 7 form the fiat disc 56. jThese discs '64 and 66 may then be sewed together in any desired manner; as by theconeentric circular stitching 61 (Fig; 4) depending on the desired rigidity of the finished buff. I g r The buff may be made in any desired size de; p n on t u e h eh t is n n ed n the size of the finished buff may p ie'ferablybe determined bythe size of the mandrel around which the cable is wound. The circumference of this mandrel will de'terilfiine the length of the tu ular membertstrrig. 2 'and while I have found that se era sizes ortufi m'ay be In de fidm the same size of ndrel by differentl expan ing. fine ends and rowding the center I s'rrr to make the diameter as the readers: stem;

the Same as the desired diafiiti er the finished biiff. I have found this proper-den to give good results, but I'do hot wish t6 limit myself to any particular rule for determining the site of the 4 di-ilfeffid's in material used or the desired stifiness or strength of the-finished buff may require difierent proportions which may be easily determined by trial.

I have found that for small bufis a few inches in diameter, the tubular helix 55 of Fig. 2 may are its" central portion 58 reduced in diameter cint to fi't' a sl'iaft upon which the buff may be mounted: Large buffs, however, cannot be reduced suificiently at the'center without increastheir-richness too much at this point, and I therefo-re pr'e er to use such proportions for producing the desired outside diameter of the finished bufi", as to leave a relatively large hole at the center. This hole I may then fill in with a center made of; an-ysuitable material, as, for instai c, discs' Berries. 3 and 4)". These discs maybe made" of cloth, card oard, fibre, orfother suitable material, and may be mit s-to the desired thickriss a then sured'to the body of the sun by prdvidifig a pair of discs seer heavy canvas, a little larger than. the sender hole, sneer each sideg afid securely sewin'g these is the sides 64 an 65 A ole 16' for the error maybe provided tnro gh' the (center. Any other or nae well ways of filling the center of the buff may be'il'ised in order to strengthen and; support the bull" at the center. An' improved metal central silpiir't "11 may b found des'irable for thebiifi of the nyn-tion is' shown'in Rigs. 10 and 11' and will: be subsequently described. If ds'ird, the central pdr'tidn o f the bill? may be strengthened By' a wire ring" 1022' which may be securely sewed t6 the strands in the position shown. Als'd, I may sever the entire s ides r the buffwith discs 6f sheeting 6h may be stitched in place any desired manner, I I One way of decreasing the diameter of the tubular helix 55 of Fig. 2- has already been described. This may also be done by folding the efid at outfitter-my about the e nt'r line" as, as shown in Fig. 6, s6 that the' twc ends fonri two' tubular members, one within member, and then sewing the doubled ever end with a double feed machine, as pievidusly described, to crowd the cables together ate-this point, By this method the crowding and sewing operation may be accomplished on a machine with less clearanceflbetween thnf'dl and the uprightsiipport.

rri sonie instances I may prefer t6 make the tubular hlix 25' in one ldi'ig p'i, slit it all the ay down one side, run the entire strip thus formed through a doiibl feed sewing machine to crowd the central line together, and subsequently cut oil the pieces; forth'eindividual buds and opposite severed fidstogether to form the buff cylinders 55. The sequence of the various steps in the constructidn of the buff may'thus be varied somewhat desired, H n

tne s everai figures; already des-cribed'tlie cable used may be made in any suitable manner and of any suitable material for the purpose for which the buff is to be used; In order to increase the thickness 61' thiinished buff I may prefer t6 make the cable out of several strands of yarn twisted together. This twisting may be done in a manner we'll understood in the art.

In making the butt of the invention I have found that the character of the cable used has a great deal to do with the operation of the finished huh. I have found that the twist in the individual strands of the cable making up the buff helps to prevent raveling at the periphery when in use and gives the buff a firmer working surface. By using several yarns in the cable,

some with a right hand twist and some with a left hand twist, the individual yarns of the resultant cable tend tolook into each other in a very desirable manner to form a soft firm working surface or edge.

For instance, certain yarns having a left hand twist may be used, while others may be provided with a. right hand twist. I may prefer to have about half of them twisted in the opposite direction.

I may prefer, however, under certain conditions and for certain purposes to use a specially constructed cable which has certain advantages to be hereinafter pointed out and which forms a feature of the invention. An enlarged crosssection of the cable itself is shown in Fig. '7. The cable may comprise a cylindrical casing 80 formed of cotton cloth or other suitable material which may, if desired, be cut on the bias. This casing may be made with a seam I02 on the inside to form a smooth outer surface. Inside of this casing may be provided a plurality of strands or cables 8|, similar to the strands and cables already described in the paragraph above. Also, as described in connection with the cable already described, I may prefer to use some strands which have been given a right hand twist and some which have been given a left hand twist, and I may prefer to alternate the direction of twist on adjacent strands, as for instance, the strands 82 in Fig. 7 may have a right hand twist while the strands 83 may have a left hand twist.

Also, in this type of cable I have found that I can introduce an abrasive or cleanin element which is very effective for certain purposes. Thus several fine stiff filaments 84 may be placed inside the casing with the cables 8|. These filaments may be wires of copper or brass or harder metal such as iron or steel, or they may be made of non-metallic material, as, for instance, certain fibres or grasses, such as Tampico-grass. Such filaments would be used where a cleaning or scouring action is desired but not generally for producing a high polish when they would be omitted, the softer materials being used alone. I have found that this cable also permits me to impregnate the interior strands with certain polishing or cleaning or scouring agents, as, for instance, rouge, pumice, flint, emery,'fullers earth or rotten stone, lime polish, pitch or other desirable materials in which while in a liquid form, the strands may be soaked before inserting in the casing 80. In this manner the polishing or cleaning agents may be brought to the working surface without flying out as has usually been found to occur when it is attempted to use such compounds with buffs of the prior art.

Inasmuch as the seam I02 of the cable is inside the casing the latter has a perfectly smooth outer surface and may be formed into the buff already described as easily as the cable composed of simple cotton strands. By means of the casing the advantageous effects previously described may be obtained.

The cable may also be made of strips of cloth, rolled or crushed in to the size desired and either used alone or as a filler for the casing 80, described above.

An important feature of the invention is the effect of the construction to produce a cooling action when the buff is operating. When an object being polished is pushed against a rotating buff there is a tendency to deform the buff; 1. e. push it towards one side or the other or force the periphery towards the center. This causes the internal strands or threads making up the bufl to rub against each other, and inasmuch as the buff is rotating at a high speed this rubbing action is extremely rapid, in fact so rapid as to sometimes cause the temperature torise to such a point as to char the buff.

In buffs of the prior art it is difficult to cool the buff to reduce this heating effect. In the buff of the invention, however, theconstruction produces an automatic cooling effect which greatly reduces the tendency of the buff to heat and thus increases the efliciency of the buff and lengthens its life.

The manner in which the cooling is accomplished may be seen from an inspection of Fig. 5 which shows the ends of the cables looking at the periphery of the buff of Fig. 4. The cables lying in the fiat surfaces 64 and B6 are sewed together, and inasmuch as these cables are substantially round they touch each other at only a small portion of the circumference, leaving V-shaped radial grooves I03, also indicated in Fig. 4, which extend from the circumference to the center along the outside of the buff and also between the layers. When the buff is rotating, these grooves form passages for air to pass from the centre to the periphery, and the buff acts like a centrifugal pump sucking in the air at the center and drawing it through the grooves to pass out at the edge. This continuous stream of fresh air rapidly cools the buff and thus prevents the overheating referred to, which has been a common fault of buffs of the prior art.

The zigzag stitching used in sewing each cable to the cable adjacent to it is an important factor in producing the advantageous results of the invention. When the buff is rotating at a high speed centrifugal force will tend to stretch each cable axially thereof, and the zigzag stitch not only permits this stretching of the cables but draws the cables closer together as they are stretched. An inspection of Fig. 4 will explain this action. When the stitching is pulled out or stretched in one direction the spread of the stitches is decreased in the other direction, thus, pulling them out axially of the cable causes the side loops of the stitches to draw closer together. This results in a stiffer, tighter formation at the periphery of the buff, aids in maintaining a uniform working surface, and helps to keep a proper balance as the buff wears down.

Any of the cables or strands described above may be used with the braided type of buff already mentioned. A perspective view of the tubular braid I04 used in making this buff is shown in Fig. 8. A plurality of the cables I05 pass around the circumference of the tube in one direction, while a plurality of cables Hi5 pass around the circumference of the tube in the other direction, the cables being woven under and over each other. This tube of braided strands may be continuously formed in a braiding machine of well known construction and cut off at the proper lengths to form the cylinders as indicated in Fig. 8. The-cylinder I04 may then be constricted, as by the crowding process already described, along the central circumferential line Ill! and the ends spread out as indicated in Fig. 9, theends being then stitched together to form the completed buff.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown a metallic center for the buff which may be attached easily and quickly without the stitching necessary with the canvas discs. This center comprises a disc I08, preferably of steel, having a hole I09 at the center and a plurality of teeth H0 and Ill around iaaeayzai the periphery. f rhese teethmay be rather: slender and *the ends may he sharpened so that they will easily penetrate the material of the buff. The teeth tfll may be berit to the right as indicated by the dot and "dash lines, While the alternate teeth 2 I H may be bent to -theleft as indicated. The disc may 'be inserted in the cen'tralopening of a *bu'fi and the teeth pressed together, "the sharp pointed endsef 'the tee'th clinching into the materieil o'ithe buff. This holds the buff securely and makes 'the rigid-support which may :be accumeitelymentered on the arbor for driving the bull.

From the above description it will be seen that 'I have provide'd 'a hig'hly-elficient bufi which has aniextremely soft uniform:working surface. The buif maintains its s'hape and balance even after 'l'ong use and "may be worn-completely downto the central hole. It therefore not only produces a better pdlish th'an bufis heretofore used, but has 'a longer life. Inasmuch -asiit is produced 'from a single cable of soft in'ater ial and not from :cloth,

' the raw material is much less expensive than that for bu'ffs made' from the latter. Another advantage which-makes th'e bu'fi 'o'f the invention less expensive to cons'truct is the "fact that every bit :o'fthe raw :material used:-goes intothe bufi; there is no was'tefas is the oase where the buff is formed o'f discs cut 'out o'f cloth and itheicorners and the =eenter emust be out away and-discarded.

The encased cable provides a meansito inconpo- -rate cleaning, scouring,and abrasive material, as well as polishing compounds, and makes a particularly desirable buff where such 'features are needed.

wish to emphasize "the fact that the construction o'f the-bull: lends itself to a substantially continuous process. Theyarn used for forming the cables may b'e in the form first produced from the raw' cotton. These-yarns maybe fed directly into :a zigzag stitching machine for winding into a tubular he1ix,-or it-may be fed into a machine, "whereitreceives a casing, and'then'into the first mentioned machine. The abrasive compounds :m-ayibe impregnated :a't any stage, although I may ,preier' todo it prior to-the encasing operation.

lmodified form of cable "has been illustrated .in Fig. '12, where, instea'd of the cloth casing, :shown in F'ig. 7, a casing forme'd similar "to the -braidedztubeof*l ig.-'8 may be-used. The strands .112 o'f this casing :may be loosely "braided "around a soft center lief-cellulose material, or'twisted syarn, as previously described;

.Changesmay-be made in the structure of-the bun itself "and in the steps of constructing it. :I do'not therefore wish to limit myself to what has beensshownzanddescribed except by the limitations :of theiappended claims.

'What I "desire to secure by-"Letters Patent and claim is: r

1. Abufi" xcomprising a plurality of cables, each -of :said cables comprising a plurality of strands and .a flexible casing surrounding said strands, :and means to attach each-of said cables to the -.cables-.-ad,iacenttoit.

:2. :A'bufi :comprising'a'p'lurality of radially dis- -posedi cablesaeachpfisaidicables comprising a plurality of .filamentary strands including at least 'one stifi' :strand and .acasing surrounding said strands, andmeansto attach each'of said cables --to1the:cables nextadjacent to it.

3. A buff comprising "a plurality of substanstially .radia'lly nisposed .cables, each of said cables comprising strands impregnated with an abrasive .compound :and a fiexible casing sur- :rounding1'said ':strands, andrmeansito: attacheeach of :said -=cables to the :cables :next :adjacent .to it.

4. 'A:bufficomprisingrmplurality:of.radially disposed cables, each of said cables comprising-ta plurality of strands and a flexible casing surrounding said stran'ds, .fancl means "to draw aid cables -closer itogether when centrifugal force *stretches said cables in a 1 radial direction.

5. -A bu'fi comprising a plurality .o'firadially disposed cables, each of said cables comprising aiplurality or strands and a flex'ible casing. surrounding said strands;and membersholdingsaidstrands together, said members be'ing :arranged :at an acute angle to sai'd cabl'es, whereby-said cables are drawn closer I together when ccentrifugal :force stretches said 'cables in 'a radial direction.

6. A-bufi-eomprising a pluralityiof radiallyidisposed cables, :ea'ch 0f :-'said cables' comprising a plurality :of strands anda flexible .casing surrounding 'said :strands, and zigzag stitching holdingsaidcables together.

'7. A buff 'compris'ing :a plurality "of Eradially disposed :cable's, each of said cablescomprising a plurality of zs'trands including #a't :least one stifi strand and a casing :surrounding :said strands, and means i to :attach each ofsaid cables to the cables next to it, said :means acting to draw said cables :closer together when centrifugal forcestretches cablesiin 'a radial-direction.

8. A bufi "comprising a plurality of iradially disposed cables, :e'ach fof said: cables :comprising a plurality o'f stran'd's including atl'eastone stiff strand *and :a casing surrounding said strands, and members holding said "cables "together, said members :b'eing arranged at an acute angle to asid 'cables, whereby :said cables are drawn closer together when :centrifugal force stretches said *cables ;in a radial -:direction.

:9. A buff icomprising :a plurality 0f radially disposed cables, each of :said :cables com- :prisinga plurality o'f strands including at least one 'stifi strand and a :casing surrounding said strands and zigzag stitching holding said cables together.

10. A :buff comprising a plurality :of substanti'ally radially :disposed cables, each "of said cables comprising 'strands impregnated with an abrasive compound, and a flexible :casing surrounding said strands, and means to attach said --ca'bles together, said means acting to draw :said cables closer to'gether when centrifugal force stretches'said 'cables in ia radial direction.

11. A buii comprising -a plurality of substanti'ally'radially disposed cables,each-of said cables -comprisingstrands impregnated withan abrasive compound and a flexi'ble casing-surrounding said strands, and zigzag stitching holding :said cables together. 1

zLAWREN CE J 'RE-EERENCE-S CITED 'Thefollowing-references are of record .in the file 'of'th'is patent:

-' 420,791 Germany "()ct. 31, 1935 

